Communities designed for a family-sized fit

When deciding where to put down roots, growing families have a lot to keep in mind.

Scott and Chantal Crockatt recently took their children, who are three years and three months old, from an inner-city condo to the southeast community of Mahogany, which is master-planned by Hopewell Residential.

“As our family began to grow, we looked at getting more space and checked out several communities before we decided on Mahogany,” Scott says. “What it came down to was it was the kind of place we could raise our children and had the feel, people and amenities that we really wanted.”

Mahogany is a three-time winner of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association-Calgary Region SAM (Sales and Marketing) Award for Community of the Year and features the largest freshwater lake within city limits. The community’s assortment of outdoor amenities was part of what hooked the Crockatts.

“As we met more people here, we found lots of them were young or established families themselves and many shared our values in terms of wanting to spend lots of time with their kids and to be outside. The amenities for the community support that,” Scott adds. Chantal likes that Mahogany features areas that allow the family to teach their children to both ice skate and cross-country ski. And for everyday outings, playgrounds and tot lots are a walkable distance from their new place.

They’ve made good use of Mahogany’s 29 hectares of naturalized wetlands, which is about two and a half blocks from home.

“We used the wetlands as a big playground. That was a big attraction,” Scott says. “One of our friends lives relatively close to us and they have young children as well. The guy has been a friend of mine for a long time and we’ve always gone hiking and back-country skiing. Now that we have kids, we have to tone that back a little bit, so we go for bike rides around the wetlands with our boys in a chariot. It feels like we’re enjoying the outdoors but at ‘father speed.’ ”

The design of a new community has to factor in the needs of a variety of demographics, and people with children are a big part of that, says Maribeth Janikowski, communications manager for Qualico Communities, calling this segment “top of mind.” She points to continued interest for homes in the company’s communities of Evanston and Redstone in north Calgary and Ravenswood in Airdrie.

“They’re young families, they’re people who have maybe lived in a condo or were renting before and now looking at their first home and moving into up into something with more space because they are having children,” says Janikowski.

But what’s the formula for a community that puts families first? Qualico points to a few factors.

“We look at offering beautiful homes at an affordable price and a plan for a community that is going to offer a number of amenities, including parks, pathways, future school sites,” Janikowski says. “We also look at connectivity. What sort of accessibility do people have to the rest of the city? Is it easy to get to work? Because all those things are important when you have a young family.”

Having school sites within reach is an important item on the checklist for potential buyers with children, says Janikowski. Developers set aside future school sites, but it’s up to municipal and provincial government to determine if and when that land is built out. Two schools in Evanston are now under construction.

“I think families do their research when they look for new communities. They look for schools close by so their kids don’t have a far commute,” Janikowski says. “They also look at who else will be living in the neighbourhood. So if there’s going to be a school there, that’s probably a good indicator that other young families will be living nearby and that’s a great social and community structure for them, as well.”

Peter Donovan, Calbridge Homes area manager for Legacy, says he sees a number of young, active families in the southeast community master-planned by WestCreek Developments. “They love Legacy due to the access, park spaces provided, and the walking paths already established allow for dog walking, bikes and Rollerblading,” writes Donovan in an email.

Legacy features 121 hectares of natural environmental reserve and more than 15 kilometres of interconnected trails and walking paths.

But the decision process doesn’t end at the community. Finding the right floor plan is another key step for buyers with children.

“We see a lot of young families purchasing our homes based on design elements that will work with them as their family grows,” says Robin Bruner, sales manager for Jayman Built. “Thoughtful conveniences and clever storage options are appreciated when living with young children. Multi-use spaces are also important. Family rooms that can be used as a play area, teenager games room, or a retreat for mom and dad are also very popular.”

Bruner singles out the kitchen as an important conversation when narrowing down the most appropriate model for a family.

“Kitchens are always a key element when buying a home, as people tend to gather there,” she says. “The popularity of open floor plans speaks to this. Everyone can be together, and that is what is important for families (young and old). I expect this trend will continue.”

Julie Punter with Homes by Avi has also seen the open plans give families when they’re looking for.

“Young families still gravitate to an open concept floor plan. I think this is because they can be in the same space and have many activities going on, but still feel connected to everyone,” Punter says.

“Families are looking for things like proper storage and livable spaces for the activities that they enjoy. The mobility to live, work and play in their home that suit their needs. Families look at the function first and foremost. Then they can add the mood and harmony that suits them once they have accomplished this.”

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